1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a valve replacement kit for a flush valve, and more particularly, to a system and method for monitoring the valve replacement kit to determine when installation of a new valve replacement kit is required.
2. Background of the Related Art
Most waste water systems, such as the flushing systems for urinals, commodes, and the like, include a flush valve having a valve element such as a flapper assembly configured to transition from an open position, where fluid is permitted to pass through the valve, to a closed position, in which fluid flow is prevented. In conventional flush valves, in the closed position, the valve element is configured to sealingly engage a valve seat. However, following prolonged use, the seal between the valve seat and valve element may weaken causing the valve to leak or fail entirely. When the valve element fails, it must be replaced.
Valve replacement kits for flush valves are well known and are commercially available from numerous valve manufacturers including I-CON Systems, Inc. of Oviedo, Fla. A valve replacement or rebuild kit may include a number of elements of a flush valve including, but not limited to, a valve element including a flapper assembly, plastic support rings for said assembly, and/or metering gasket and cup assemblies configured to assist in adjusting or controlling the maximum opening position of the valve element.
For large facilities such as apartment complexes, dormitories, jails, prisons, or detention centers, which have large numbers of toilets and associated flush valves, anticipating when any specific valve may fail and must be replaced is often difficult. Generally, the facility must rely on careful record keeping of when valves were rebuilt or, replaced, approximate usage, and estimated lifecycle to estimate when a valve will fail. Flush valves which are near the end of their lifecycle must be carefully monitored to assess their functionality. In addition, the facility must have a sufficient number of replacement kits on hand so that when a valve fails, it can be rebuilt as quickly as possible to avoid unnecessary inconvenience for users and maintenance personnel.
At present, most facilities simply wait for a valve to break and replace it as required. Some facilities attempt to keep records to anticipate when a valve will break and have procedures in place for acquiring replacement parts for valves which are believed to be near the end of their lifecycles. However, these attempts to monitor the lifecycle of existing valves are often imprecise and require employees to be especially diligent in monitoring aging valves and replacement part acquisition practices. In addition, the valve is not replaced until it actually breaks, meaning that the valve must be replaced quickly and without warning to avoid disturbing operation of the facility.
Therefore, there is a need for a more effective system for monitoring a valve replacement kit that is capable of monitoring use of an individual flush valve and alerting operators when a valve is nearing the end of its anticipated lifecycle. In this way, operators would be aware of which individual valves are most likely to fail and could monitor those valves more closely. Furthermore, it would be advantageous to integrate the monitoring system with an acquisition system for replacement parts so there are sufficient replacement valves on hand for all outer valves that may need to be replaced in the near future. It would also be advantageous if the valve body itself included visual indicators to alert operators of the age of the valve and the anticipated time until the valve fails. Finally, it would be advantageous if the system also monitored the operation of individual valves to provide a more accurate indication of how the valve is functioning and the time until the valve ultimately fails. In this way, the operator would be able to rely not only on the anticipated lifespan of the valve, but also on the actual operation of the valve itself to provide a more sophisticated approximation of when the valve will fail and must be replaced. The system and method of the present application are configured to provide such advantages to improve the monitoring and replacement of valve replacement kits for flush valves.